Piper "issues challenge" to hype new autobiography

[Guest Eagan469]

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-October 9, 2002

"ROWDY " RODDY PIPER RESPONDS TO CONTREVERSY; ISSUES A CHALLENGE OF HIS OWN"

 

 

In his 35 plus year career, Roddy Piper has never backed down from a challenge and as he embarks on his most important project of his career, the book release of "In The Pit With Piper" and subsequent U.S. Book Tour, he is not about to start. There have been some fans and historians in the wrestling community that questioned some items in the Press Release for the book. Roddy Piper has sat down with www.inthepitwithpiper.com to set the record straight on these items and issue a challenge of his own.

 

Item #1-"Roddy Piper created Starrcade, the first Wrestling Pay-Per-View"

 

At Starrcade, Roddy Piper was featured in the double main event in one of the undisputed toughest matches ever against Greg Valentine. It is generally remembered by most as the match that stands out on the show because of the brutality of the contest. As far as Starrcade being the first Pay-Per-View, while it was not offered on what today is called Pay-Per-View, it was the first "Supercard" offered in a large area on Closed Circuit TV. To see it, you had to pay to get in the buildings, so technically it was a "Pay-Per-View", just not exactly what Pay-Per-View has evolved into in 2002.

 

Item #2-"Roddy Piper is the Founding Father of the WWF"

As you will read in his book, Roddy Piper was also the main player involved in a National startup promotion in 1982 that preceded the WWF Expansion. The link between the two companies was Jim Barnett. (More on that will be in the book). With that said, Vince McMahon has publicly stated that if WrestleMania 1 was not successful, he would have been broke as he banked his entire empire on that show. The key figures behind the buildup to WM1 were Cyndi Lauper, Lou Albano, and Roddy Piper. In Piper's Pit, Albano and Lauper had their confrontations in which Roddy Piper became involved and subsequently led to "The War to Settle The Score" on MTV between Roddy Piper and Hogan which led to WrestleMania. In the promotion of WrestleMania 1, many female celebrities including Dr. Ruth, Geraldine Ferraro (the Vice Presidential Candidate at the time), and even Lauper herself, live on the American Music Awards said that Roddy Piper "would get his", "wasn't fit to wear a dress", etc. In addition, it was Roddy Piper, in a conversation with Vince McMahon that laid out the match where Mr. T, to save credibility, would not punch and kick but wrestle a more basic amateur style and then tag in Hogan for the big pop. If you look at the match, that's how it happened. If you know wrestling at all, how can you disagree with actual film footage you can still rent at Blockbuster?

 

The point is, taking nothing away from the other participants, the key to the buildup was that people would not pay to see the hero (Hogan) flex his muscles and the celebrity (Mr. T) but the people paid to see Roddy Piper get his ass kicked. WrestleMania was a success and the WWF Expansion as well, because of this angle that revolved for months around Piper, not to mention the coconut.

 

Item #3-"Roddy Piper’s Recent Car Accident"

This recent wreck had nothing to do with the hip replacement that took place years ago. The fact is that Roddy Piper was involved in an extremely serious wreck in January of this year. Only a few in the XWF and his closest friends knew the severity. The reason that it is being brought up now is to let the fan's know that when they come to see Roddy Piper on his book tour, he is still recuperating from these near fatal injuries and fans may see a different Roddy Piper from the "larger than life" figure he appears as on TV.

 

 

Item #4-"RoddyPiper claims that when he was stabbed in Raleigh, NC, he was saving small children"

 

This one is easy-the "so called" historians should go look at the police report. Roddy Piper was confronting a fan with a knife and let his guard down when a young girl, who ended up being the perpetrators daughter, was tugging at his leg. When he was distracted, Roddy Piper was stabbed an inch away from his heart and followed the "fan" who ran right into a police officer. That is how the world "children" came into the story as the Charlotte News said it on their newscast and everyone followed their vernacular.

 

Item #5-"Roddy Piper lives, sleeps, and breaths kayfabe"

 

Piper didn't even know how to spell kayfabe, not because he flunked spelling, but because it is a carny word that was never written, just a phrase used in the Carnival World. Nevertheless, if one joins the American Military and takes an oath and then breaks that oath he is a traitor. Roddy Piper took an oath in the wrestling business when "breaking in" and unlike many, has kept that oath. The interesting fact is that this book is the first time in his career that he breaks so called "kayfabe" and tells the absolute truth about his career and his feelings on the wrestling business. By the way, whoever the Einstein is that spelled "kayfabe" should know that it is not a word, but a lifestyle, and was never intended to be written. In addition, Roddy Piper was not there when Bruiser Brody died nor did he witness the event?!

 

Piper Issues A Challenge

 

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper stands 100% behind everything that is written in both the Press Release and his life story, "In The Pit With Piper". Any wrestling fan, writer, or historian who would like to challenge anything written in either can go to www.inthepitwithpiper.com and hit the media relations link at the bottom of the page. Roddy Piper will respond on the website either in writing or on live streaming video as only he can.

 

www.inthepitwithpiper.com is the official website of both the book and tour. You can purchase an advanced personalized and autographed copy of the book or visit often for tour updates and streaming video of Roddy Piper as he gets ready to embark on his book tour."

 

I'm going to ask him why "Hell Comes To Frogtown" never saw a sequel

[Guest creativename]

Whoever wrote that has some serious problems.

 

Piper was awesome though. I loved the guy when I was a kid. One of the greats. He seems a bit off the wall though; not sure if I'd like to be friends with the guy.

[Guest Harry Hood]

I've yet to see They Live, yes I know I suck...

[Guest godthedog]

i'll have to regularly go to that site to see the challenges & his responses.

 

piper is a bit delusional about his own importance, but in interviews & speeches he's always fascinated me. he has a real dark side to him, and he's not afraid of talking about wrestling's demons like others are. i'm definitely going to check the book out.

[Guest deadbeater]

Piper was a great foil to the Hulkster during that critical, and just as charismatic. The Hulk needed Piper as Piper was the last of the great monster heels.

[Guest ArkhamGlobe]

I'm going to ask him why "Hell Comes To Frogtown" never saw a sequel

There actually is a sequel to "Hell Comes to Frogtown" (though Piper isn't in it). Here's a link: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0106970. This film was in turn followed by another film, the link is http://us.imdb.com/Title?0117930.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

The first problem off the top of my head with that list is that people paid to see Piper get his ass kicked at the first Wrestlemania and that's what it was sold on. But it was Orndorff who did the job and basically got his ass beat by the faces. Yet, Wrestlemania was still a success and led to the WWF's mid-80's boom. So, Piper getting his ass beat must not have been that big of a deal then.

[Guest imajackoff?]

I loved Piper back in the day. The night before WM 7 in LA, I met him at a comedy club. He was incredibly nice to me, so I'll never say anything bad about him.